Tomorrow's Yesterday
by maverickavenger
Summary: A collection of romance-centered oneshots and drabbles involving all the classic couples. Ch 6, "That lazy oaf, he'd hardly tripped into her and made a pass and thought himself a wooer."
1. Finding a Reason

**Forward Note**

This is going to be the first in a long collection of short stories and blurbs, mostly romantic, circulating around my favorite romances on the manga. The majority will be Kenshin and Kaoru, but some, like this one, are Aoshi and Misao, and others will be Sano and Megumi. I might follow a few triangles here and there, but don't expect too much out of the ordinary. For all intensive purposes, these are mostly practice for when I decide to do a big project. I'm really excited for these though. Most of them will be based off of prompts, whether it's a song or something that happened to me personally, it usually all relates back. Any prompt I take from will be displayed at the beginning of the fanfiction. Suggestions for themes are welcomed and encouraged!

So even though I'm a die hard KK fan, I have all the muse in the world right now for a cool Aoshi x Misao fic, so that's what this is gonna be. Misao might be a little off in this one, I realize this, but I was sort of playing with the emotion response aspect of it all. Forgive me if I get terms or names wrong, most of my Rurouni Kenshin knowledge comes from other fanfictions. I like to learn on the fly. ;P Lets get this puppy rollin'!

**AU, Misao x Aoshi, Portrayed Age, Rated T for Language (andotherstuffmaybe), Length: 1678**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, probably not even the plot. No idea is original these days. _

**xxxxxxxx**

"Aoshi's gone again."

"...Again?"

"Well... this time he looked different."

"Different how?"

"Like he was... I'm not sure how to describe it."

"Like what? It wasn't an assignment, was it?"

"No... No, definitely not that."

"Then different _how_?"

"Like he was... determined."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She couldn't remember the first time she had seen him at the blood bar. It was almost as if he had always simply been there, part of the crowd, part of the building itself. He was as tangible as the stone walls and as untouchable as the sexual tension that rose and fell with the beat of the bass. It occurred to her that maybe he was a hallucination, some dream her mind had cooked up with the heat of humiliation and fear, emotions she was very accustomed to feeling. It took a great deal of steely willpower to survive in the lion's den she'd been tossed into so mercilessly, but a great deal more, she found, to deal with the icy stare that this particular patron seemed to saddle her with every chance he got.

She was a slave, pure and simple. She'd run away from her parents when she was twelve, rebellious and wild, but planning to return in a few days just to see the shock and relief in their faces. Her plan was cut woefully short by the Snags she'd run into along the way. Of all the horrible, conscienceless people she could have stumbled upon in the street, she'd managed to find the worst.

The Snags, or body snatchers of the Underworld, were the cast out ruins of demons, vampires, lycans, and similar otherworldly creatures. They spent their time wandering the streets of the parallels, the worlds that surrounded the one the Underworld, taking from them the poor, the needy, the desperate, and the alone. The long-haired child they'd found in the human realm had brought the Snags a pretty penny, sold to the highest bidder and shipped away, kicking and screaming into the shadows.

That had been seven years ago now, and her memories of the event had festered inside of her until they were a pool of hatred in her belly, fueling every escape attempt, every dirty fight she'd won with an underhanded trick, and every torture she'd suffered through in those past few years. She knew in her heart that she would never leave the Underworld, but with every inch she took, she began to create an idea of a life outside the blood bar's walls that appealed to her greatly. She had made a few allies in the past few years, and dare she think, a few friends as well. If she could keep her chin up and keep tucking away the few bills that roamed too long on the counter, she would have enough soon to scrap together a living once she was free.

She had come a long way from sitting in a cage behind the alcohol and blood containers that lined the back of the bar, no more than a shiny new toy to be admired by patrons. Good behavior and favors had given her leeway into the actual bar, albeit with a chained ankle, and once it was discovered that she was a quick learner and had picked up the abstract art of Underworld bartending, she was thrust into the greedy palms of excited bar goers, tickled with the idea of being served blood and gin by a human. A blossoming, beautiful young human at that.

Carefully, the young woman reached out and pulled a bill from under the elbow of a demon, staggering with the intensity of a drink he'd ordered. Placing it in her pocket with the expertise of a trained thief, she moved around the bar to refresh drinks and demurely look away when a comment was thrown in her direction. She played the weak damsel very, very well by now. It belied none of the truly boisterous, bubbly attitude that lay within her, carefully locked away until it could again be safely released and received.

"Oi, Weasel girl, get your tight ass over here and gimme a drink, on the Boss Man's tab." She heard from somewhere behind her. Turning to physically respond, her eyes locked onto the mysterious man's who sat at one corner of the bar, drink untouched. Something within her jolted and her breath hitched. They'd never made eye contact before. She'd never been able to bring herself to, with almost every customer that came up and demanded her attention. It was suddenly as if everything around her stopped, and all that she could see were the ice-cold irises of the beautiful, perfect man who stared back.

She was disquieted by the fact that she suddenly felt like she knew all about him. She could tell that even though he was quiet, reserved, and very, very intelligent, something had stirred within his stomach upon catching her gaze. Had it been the slight widening to his eyes or the shift of his shoulders as they tensed, she would never know for sure. But something within her, something primal and instinctive, _wanted_ him.

It had only been seconds, but they ticked by like hours. Before she could process anything else she was ripped viciously from her idle staring match by a lycan, a particularly bitter one, and he gripped her bicep with such force that she felt her flesh begin to bruise instantly. She let out a yelp and flinched, but his grip did not slacken. "You little bitch, I asked for a drink five fucking minutes ago!" He snarled, canines flashing in the dim lighting. The party around them seemed to continue without notice as the small bodied female struggled to free herself. Her apologies, however, quickly went from sincere to angry as the man gripped tighter and continued to call her filthy names.

With an explosion of rage, still not garnering the attention of the other drinkers at the bar however, she locked her eyes on the beast. "Let me go, you ugly spawn of fucking hell." Her ferocious snarl was entirely unexpected and the grip the beast had on her slackened, but then tightened again with more force than before. It brought tears to the corners of the young maiden's eyes, but she refused to give in and continued to struggle. An eternity of anger, frustration, hurt, and loneliness wrenched itself from her body as she pulled and clawed at the hand that held her.

But then, quite suddenly, she was released. She toppled to the floor, landing in an undignified heap. Her other hand went instinctively to her injured arm, gently touching it to determine its damage. Her second thought was to look up at her assailant, hoping above all else that he wouldn't jump the bar and rape her, or beat her; not with the man she had connected with so suddenly there to see. But she could not find the face of the man who had grabbed her. That is, until it fell beside her on the ground, no longer attached to the body it once controlled.

The head rolled back and forth a few times in an almost comical way, and she felt a strange urge to start laughing. With eyes wider than a doe's, she turned and looked up. The blue-eyed man was standing there, wiping off a long, thin blade on the torso of the beheaded man. Sheathing it, he turned to the girl behind the bar and, after what seemed to be a moment of careful calculation; he slipped over the bar and crouched beside her. Just as other underworld creatures began to notice the severed gentleman, the man reached up and tucked a strand of jet black hair behind the young woman's ear. She struggled for words.

"My name is Makimachi Misao." She finally managed to whisper, clearly audible to the warrior even over the screams and yells of the crowds.

"I am Shinomori Aoshi." His voice was deep and rich, and there was another moment of understanding that passed between them. His words, which were hollow and emotionless, hit a place inside Misao and reverberated back like sonar, projecting in her head exactly how he was feeling and what he wanted her to know. The narrowed eyes he laid on her were cool and unyielding, but she saw within them a feeling that she hadn't known existed in that world.

Without another word Aoshi reached over and gripped the chain that shackled her leg to the cement ground. With a flick of his wrist it snapped and fell away from her. In the same moment, she wrapped her thin arms around his shoulders and clung to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck and relishing in the feel of his strong arms surrounding her small frame. He picked her up from the ground and held her as one might hold a new bride, like a delicate flower that could be so easily crushed by a careless hand.

He was over the counter in a smooth leap, and the crowd parted for him without hesitation. He was well known, and his name echoed in their ears as one that was synonymous with certain death.

"You are mine," Misao heard him say as they exited the warm building and cool night air lapped at her pale skin. She held his neck tighter, as though she might be able to become a physical part of him if she tried hard enough. She didn't care where they were going, she realized within the cloudy haze of exhaustion that she felt sweeping over her body. It was a sensation that she found she could not fight, and wondered if it was something the man was doing on purpose. Yawning sleepily, she saw rather than felt her grip on him relaxing as it became harder to see.

"... and I should have taken you sooner."


	2. Ocean's Call

**Foreward Note**

I really got inspired for this one. I was at work designing my next tattoo when the thought occurred to me to write this up. Its probably been done before and all but I really want to make this one special. I hope you all really enjoy this one. :3

Sorry if it's a little reminiscent of 'The Little Mermaid' at first, I'm trying not to copy it.

_Disclaimer: Yea, right. Like anything besides the plot is mine. _

**AU, Kenshin/Battousai x Kaoru, M for Language, Length: 5369**

The ocean, in all of its vast majesties, was what called to her every moment. Every breath she took tasted of salt and freedom, of unpredictability and compassion. The ocean was her love, her charge, and her protector. Her form was flawlessly graceful as it slid through the water, fingers spread to propel her onward. The thin membrane between her digits acted like the sail on a boat, catching and pushing to create greater or lesser speed.

Her skin, pale as the shaded light from the moon, stretched over her exquisite shape, which was true to the idealistic nature of a woman's body in every aspect. Sloping neck and shoulders gave way to an elegant face which held neither age nor weary, thick black lashes fluttering lazily above stormy blue eyes that changed as inconsistently as her will. The maiden's hair was the deepest of blacks, but shimmered with blues and greens under the waning light of the water's surface, tangled delicately with bits of seaweed and braided strands of young pearls. Similar bits of plant life wrapped lovingly around her biceps, wrists, and the junction of her tail and fin, both shaded in mesmerizing hues of navy, teal, and sapphire.

Kamiya Kaoru was Mistress of the Ocean, Calmer of the Seas, Goddess of the Waves, and, to her own kind, far too rebellious for her own good.

Her beauty, though divine and enchanting, was not unlike that of the rest of her family. Her mother was, arguably, the most gorgeous creature to have swum in the oceans of her Father's kingdom, and her father himself was rugged and charming, his eyes alight with a fire of happiness and pride. Her people looked up to her family, as they were a symbol that the old ways would not falter. They were safe from the changing world of man, so long as her family remained on the ocean's throne.

It was with this thought in mind that the Mer-King forbade his daughter from traveling outside the reaches of his kingdom. He thought this a fair and reasonable boundary, for his closest neighbor was that of the Far East Sea, several hundred leagues away. With this his daughter could surely be satisfied, and find within its limits anything she wished to do once her studies were complete. His mind at rest, he turned a blind eye to his daughter's recreational activities.

One might say that was how she found herself in the predicament of mortal war, one that raged above the surface and, sometimes, shook the earth to their humble realm. She had stayed true to her word to stay within the confines of her father's lands, but that did not mean she could not go to the place humans most often wandered within it.

Kaoru skimmed just beneath the surface, blue eyes alight with interest as she pivoted her hips and twisted her torso, going from traveling right side up, to upside down, watching as though through a window. Two ships were above her, the great thunder of their weapons echoing beneath the surface of the shaking water. The fins on her arms and the one that went along her spine, which looked very similar to the dorsal fins of a sailfish although only several inches in length at most, tensed and relaxed, turning her body by fractional degrees as she tried to get a better look at the action.

With a wayward glance at the abyss of ocean below her, she contorted her body and jetted to the hull of the nearest boat, making it there in less than a moment's time. Grasping the smooth wood with her steady hands, she flicked her tail once, and found herself above the water by a length of her head and shoulders. Her midnight hair pooled around her on the surface, framing her body and the necklaces of seaweed and pearl around her neck. She looked up in wonder at the battling humans, inching back slightly when a man was thrown, screaming, into the water near her by a particularly nasty gunshot. Her eyes went from the sinking mortal to the men above, and her next sight was one she would never forget.

A man stood at the railing of the ship opposite the one she had attached herself to, standing bravely on the railing with one hand hooked into the rope mesh that climbed to the top of the ship's sails. In his other was a gun, which he fired with a ferocious scowl. Even from the distance she was at, her keen eyesight found a pair of intense golden eyes, the color of fine coral and shipwrecked treasure. He was not looking at her; he was instead shouting at his crew, who scrambled to assault the other ship with all of their resources.

Her eyes traveled upward, curiosity of the redheaded man spent, instead deciding that the men scurrying in the sails above were quite interesting in their own right. The flag that flapped in the wind high above them was black with some sort of strange insignia upon it. Glancing above to her own ship, she saw a similar one, except for in its color and design. This one was white and blue, and the men that balanced about it were looking a good deal more worried than those on the deck of their adversary.

Humans were incredibly interesting to the young mermaid. Her father and mother told her legends of them and their great battles on the surface, but she had never seen them except from afar. Her parents always painted them as primitive creatures with little to offer except treasures and baubles, gifts to them, they had surmised, in order to keep the ocean calm and yielding to their travels. She had seen before how, during times of over-fishing from the humans and lack of offerings had angered her father, and he had sent forth typhoons and hurricanes to decimate their vessels. After such storms, she remembered quite clearly the amount of beautiful things to be found within the wreckage.

The battle was over before she had even realized it. A truce had been called, it appeared, and now the Golden Eyes was speaking to the man she presumed captain of the other ship. He had spiky white hair and teal covered glasses. The color attracted her and she ducked under the water, swimming to the other ship so that she might look upon the glasses more. When she came up again, there was far greater ruckus from Golden Eyes' ship. She paid them no mind, and instead gazed upon White Hair's glasses, a want for them boiling inside of her until she could hardly bear it.

She felt no fear as she swam forward to the space in between the ships, looking up at White Hair's face and deciding how best to retrieve the artifact that she so longed for. Pouting her lips slightly, her brow furrowed. He was far too high up to jump for them; the two men had met on a plank that connected the two ships. Perhaps she could throw one of her pearls to him, and he would exchange the glasses for it?

In her mind the trade was reasonable, and as one hand rose to the pearls that were strung along fine ropes around her neck, she considered how best to get his attention. She was caught off guard, however, when she heard a shrill cry come from the deck of White Hair's men.

"'Tis a _Mermaid_!" The screech was sporadic, like the man had choked it out in full terror of the phrase itself, but it merely drew Kaoru's attention from her prize. She eyed the man for a moment, wondering if perhaps she was the first he had ever seen, and a smile broke out across her face. He should feel quite honored, she decided, for as she was regarded as royalty among her people, so did many mortals consider her royal family as lucky to see in person. She thought briefly that she might sing for them, and just as she opened her mouth, she felt herself unable to move.

Panic swelled inside her chest, fingers touching the rope net hesitantly at first, but then thrashing and terrified as it did not give way to her strength. Claws, which grew when she had a need for them, slashed at the thick braids without result. She was unable to cut enough of them before the net was hauled from the water, and as the ocean disappeared from around her, she felt a cry escape her throat. It was high pitched and afraid, her thin arms reaching through the holes in the net and stretching for the salty expanse, trying desperately to touch it, to feel its strength and power. Her efforts were in vane, however, as the water merely churned and lapped at air, missing her presence as well.

Behind her, the two men were watching with equal amounts of shock and awe as the mermaid was lifted into Golden Eyes' boat. While the two men had been arguing about penance for the battle, which White hair had lost, Golden Eyes' crew had spotted the mermaid and, knowing that the element of surprise was on their side, had netted her the first chance they got. Loud cheers and hollers rose from the deck as they hauled her struggling fish woman aboard, letting her hover in the net just above deck.

Golden Eyes turned to White Hair and mumbled something Kaoru could not make out, though she was not truly listening. She missed her ocean, missed the way it soothingly pressed against her, pushing her forward, pulling her into a cool embrace. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she twisted in the net, the weight of her torso pushing down on her tail, which was slightly longer than what her legs would have otherwise been. The fine membrane of her fin and some of those along her arms had been torn in the struggle, and a thin layer of blood coated some of her iridescent scales. Before she knew what was going on, the board had been pulled from between the two ships without any kind of exchange of goods, and Golden Eyes was standing before her.

Kaoru's stormy eyes became alight with fire as she openly hissed at the man. The sound chilled every sailor to the bone as it echoed across the now silent deck, the other ship floating away into the fog that was steadily rolling in.

"Sano, what the _fuck_ happened?" Golden Eyes asked to seemingly no one, not breaking eye contact with the mermaid in his net.

"The men saw this beauty swimmin' in between the damn boats, sir. Figured you'd be happier with a prize like 'er over anythin' that damned Enishi could 'ave offered."

Golden Eyes seemed to consider this before a smile broke out over his scarred face. "The men were incredibly correct, Sano. Sake all around tonight!" His voice was enough to jolt the men from their fear and send them into another round of hooplah as they once more set to work. Golden Eyes, however, did not move. He studied the woman in the net, catching sight of the blood on her scales and the horror in her eyes. "See to it that our guest is well accommodated. We sail for Mitso." He commanded before walking away, one hand resting lightly on the katana at his waist, fiery hair flowing behind him like a banner of war.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

The men had found an empty water trough, which was slightly deeper than a tub for bathing and just long enough for Kaoru to stretch out fully. A shackle was placed around her wrist and chained to the floor, but with enough slack that she might move around freely in the tub.

She sat in it moodily, the only part of her above the water being the hump of her tail where her knees might be and the top of her head, arms crossed bitterly across her exposed chest. Modesty was not a mermaid trait, but emotional adjustment was. Perhaps it was the sort of instinct a shark has when detecting wounded fish, but a merperson could quite easily pick up on the emotions of those in her immediate presence. So far, she'd registered a combination of lust for money and her bodily assets, contentedness, and pride. As she slumped in her tub, she pondered how far she'd fallen, once a princess of her people, now a slave to primitive land-walkers.

Just as she was sinking into depression over the topic, mourning the loss of her ocean and her family, she picked up on a nearby emotion that she was having trouble deciphering. Anger? Disgust? She wasn't sure. They were unfamiliar and uncharacteristic of the crew so far, and as intrigue overwhelmed her, the door on the other side of the dimly lit room burst open to reveal a very angry kitsune. Kaoru gripped the side of the tub and pulled her face to it so that her eyes peeked over the edge. She was beautiful, Kaoru thought with a tilt of her head. She stood tall and with a proud angle in her jaw. Her dark eyes and red lips contrasted elegantly with the midnight color of her hair. Her robes fell around her in a flattering but casual way. As Kaoru was innocently remarking on the strange habit mortals had of wearing clothing, the woman slammed the door shut with the heel of her boot and dropped the pack she'd been carrying. She kicked it towards the tub with a disgruntled murmur. Something about men, Kaoru thought she heard, and something about their evil, sexist ways.

Dark eyes went from angry to full of sorrow and pity as they took in the sight of the lovely young mermaid princess, which was a fact they had yet to learn Kaoru was sure.

"My name is Takani Megumi, I am the doctor aboard this ship." Megumi said softly, coming to rest on her knees beside Kaoru's tub. "You can trust me, Miss. I am not like those greedy, selfish men." She spat the last part with contempt, and Kaoru realized the source of this female's bitterness. With a smile of understanding, Kaoru sat up and reached forward. At first, Megumi recoiled, but knowing it was best not to anger the creature before her, she stopped herself. Kaoru's fingers swept slowly from Megumi's cheekbone to her chin, then moved and grasped a clump of hair gently. Seemingly satisfied, Kaoru pulled back and relaxed in the tub.

Megumi smiled, glad that she had passed the creature's inspection. Knowing that Kaoru's eyes were still on her, Megumi dug around in her bag and began to talk.

"The captain plans to sell you to the highest bidder at the next port, and his first mate," she bit the words out before calming again. "agrees. They see no point in keeping you longer than is necessary, and do not wish to stress you further. They are stupid,_ stupid_ men to think you would far better somewhere else than aboard Kenshin's own ship. He has no wish to carry you aboard as a token of luck or favor-"

"He would receive neither."

The voice cut through Megumi's ramble with such unbridled indifference that she felt herself shiver and turn to look at the mermaid, herbs still in hand.

"You can speak?" Megumi's question was met with a haughty gaze from above a dainty nose, as though a commoner had just questioned the skill of a goddess. Kaoru did not answer, only eyed the herbs in Megumi's hands. Taking a small breath through the nose, Kaoru recognized them as medicinal things and raised her tail above the water. Megumi flinched slightly, thinking she was to be thrashed by the creature, but let out a breath when Kaoru simply let her tail hang over the side. At first, Megumi was perplexed by this action as it couldn't possibly be out of comfort. Then, as she took a closer look, she knew that the mermaid was, in her own way, giving her permission to heal her.

Megumi set to work immediately, and silently. She ground the herbs and spread small amounts of them onto the torn membrane of Kaoru's fins, unsure if it would help but certainly wishing to try.

"These pastes work well on flesh wounds, but I am unsure how your fin membrane will take to it. We shall have to wait and see." At this Megumi stood and turned to leave when a cool, soft hand grasped her own. Megumi stopped and turned her face to the mermaid, watching as she hesitated for a long moment, then reached up into her mane of black hair. After a few seconds of curious watching on Megumi's part, she felt her breath hitch as a beautiful black pearl came into view. Kaoru pushed the gift into Megumi's hand, closing her fingers around it. Kaoru offered a smile before releasing the doctor and sinking back into the water.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

"She is not some object that you can pawn. She is a living thing, Kenshin. A kind, lonely, _living _thing. You can no more sell her than say you are not a hypocrite when you go on to attack slave ships." Her words cut like ice and Kenshin felt his golden eyes narrow.

"You don't know that. She is a creature, an animal, nothing more. The fact that she looks like a human only speaks of her ability to fool us." Kenshin barked, slamming a hand down on his desk. This argument had been going on since Megumi had left the mermaid in her tank a few hours ago, and she would not let him go until he heard her way.

"Then why did she give me this, after I had helped her?" Megumi asked bitterly, tossing the pearl in Kenshin's direction. He caught it easily, eyeing it for a moment before looking back to the lady doctor.

"She gave this to you?" he asked, suddenly softer.

"Yes, after I mended some of the wounds from her capture. I think she regards it as a gift, not payment. A gift for my kindness, as well as the services she saw as rightly deserved."

This thought startled Kenshin as he fondled the pearl in his hand. He eyed her warily, a thought crossing his mind. "Did she touch you?" He asked, standing up from his desk.

"She took my hand as I was leaving to stop me, so she could give me the pearl." Megumi said, calm as ever as she stood aside for Kenshin to exit.

He paused in the doorway, looking at the smooth wood of it before turning to look at Megumi in the eye. "Merfolk do not give something of theirs unless they get something in return." With this, Kenshin pushed the pearl into Megumi's palm, much like Kaoru had, and left Megumi to wonder what exactly the mermaid had taken.

Kenshin tracked down to the cargo bay, mind fuming. The creature would have to be put on tighter restraints; Kami only knew how strong she actually was. Megumi had been lucky the thing had taken a liking to her and not snapped her neck when given the chance. Kenshin swore and shoved open the door, greeted by a swirl of dust visible only in the sliver of light he had created with his entrance. The tub was in the middle of the room, crates and bottles lining the surrounding walls so that there was little more than five feet of walking space all around the tub. The ships' rocking had spilled some of its contents, but its inhabitant seemed calm enough within it. Was that... _sulking_ he saw in her face?

"I will not have you touching my crew, for any reason." Kaoru turned to him, eyeing him up and down, disregarding the hostile tone of his voice. Kenshin took another step into the room, and then another, until he was very close to the tub. Kaoru looked at him innocently, as if she had done nothing to warrant the impending lecture she could sense. The tone of his voice reminded her of her father's, and she felt shame and longing rise in her chest. Kenshin watched as her face flickered first with annoyance, then anger, then sorrow as she slipped further into the water, closing her eyes to fight off tears.

He softened at the sight, never one to enjoy the suffering of a female of any species. The fact that she was a living, breathing embodiment of the horror stories he'd heard as a child and only glimpsed as a sea captain made him wary, but her beauty and distress made his heart clench in an unfamiliar way.

"What did you take from Megumi?" He asked, his voice somewhere near gentle as he kneeled by the side of her tub. The water soaked through the knees of his loose brown breeches, his supple leather boots supporting the weight of his body comfortably. The creature shifted and glanced at him, then turned away as if in a pout. Kenshin sighed and looked at the ceiling in thought. He tugged at the loose sleeves of his tunic, looking down at himself briefly. His worn magenta vest needed repairing, and the black belt that supported both his pants and his katana had seen many days. 'Too many.' He found himself thinking, knowing that he was approaching the end of his prime sea-faring years. He was startled from his reverie when a soft voice, melodious and gentle, reached his ears.

"I took from her knowledge of this ship. Its crew," She paused to look him in the eyes. "and its captain." This must have startled him, she noted, for he was looking at her with shock apparent in his dark, wheat-gold eyes. She continued, "Himura Kenshin, you have captained this ship for many summers now, and with Lady Takani's nonverbal explanation of you, I have determined that in return for releasing me, I will bring you great riches." She had inched closer to him, her soft fingers coming to rest on the edge of the tub as she leaned over it, her face only a few inches from his own.

"And if her nonverbal explanation of me had been anything other than your understanding?" He asked cautiously, hoping she wouldn't perform some sort of devilry at this distance.

"I would have murdered your shipmates and yourself, and I would have spared only the woman who cared for my wounds."

Her blunt reply struck him, and as hardened as he was, he could not help but shake the small shiver of fear that ran through him. Kenshin watched her for minutes that seemed to pass like hours before reaching up to gently touch her face. "Are you so deadly and beautiful even to your own people?" He asked softly in wonder, almost more to himself than to her.

Shocked by his statement and action she recoiled against the other side of her tank so quickly that water splashed about them. His expression was dazed as he watched her, red hair framing his face poetically as he felt his opinion of the creature his crew had captured change. He took a moment to consider her human instead of blasphemy, and found she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. How he had missed it before was beyond him, and he wanted nothing but to touch her skin and feel their heartbeats mesh into one complete thing.

"I am a member of the royal family. I know more ways to kill you than you can imagine with your insignificant mortal mind."

And so simply had the words been said than the trance Kenshin had found himself was broken. He stood so quickly that blush rushed to his head and he staggered for a second before regaining his legs. He glared at her, hatred welling in the pit of his stomach as he revealed teeth in a guttural scowl. "We sail for the harbor you will be sold at, so you had best mind your tongue until we arrive."

These last words spoken, he left Kaoru in the dark once more. She collapsed into her water and sobbed, crying for her home, her family, and now for the horror of what was to become of her.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

It was a blood red morning when they found her on deck, struggling to reach the railing of the ship. She had nearly made it before the night watch had caught sight of her. He managed to ring the alarm and break a mop over her shoulders before she'd made it within even a few feet. Her cry had woken the entire ship from sleep, though it was not intensely loud. Members of the crew gathered around her limp, unconscious body before their captain had come out, demanding to know what the commotion was about.

After a brief explanation of what had happened, the crewmember had been brutally gutted and thrown to the sharks. Kenshin's fury knew no bounds, but he had no explanation as to why. The thought of someone_, anyone_, touching her made him angry to the point of seeing a shade of red darker than any blood. A small group of sailors had carried her back down to her tank and set her up in a fresh string of chains, unable to decipher how she had slipped the other one.

Kenshin stood on the deck and watched as the sun rose, fighting through his own emotional turmoil. She had only been on the ship for a few weeks, but each time he saw her, thought about her, or smelled the faintest hint of jasmine he'd learned to associate with her, his mind became a haze and he couldn't be rid of her. He would end up going down into the cargo hold to see her. Most of the time they wouldn't speak. Kaoru, as he had finally discovered was her name, would usually sit and comb through her hair with her fingers. Sometimes he would manage to sneak up on the fair woman and, for the briefest of moments when she had not detected him, he would catch her singing. He found himself spending more and more time with her, even when she slept. He could find no peace except when he was watching her beautiful form moving, shifting, and best of all, when she was looking at him.

He got bits and pieces of information out of her, sometimes bringing her things to bargain. A shell, some gold, and her favorite to date, an indigo hair ribbon, had all been coveted treasures that led to the subsequent admission of certain details.

It was in this way that he learned of her people, their duty to the ocean, and her place in it. The grand expanse that was her home and his alike, a common ground they found their footing on and jumped from. It was the day before they were to arrive at port that he asked her his thirty-eighth question.

"Can merfolk fall in love with a human?" He asked, leaning against the wall of crates and watching her with lazy eyes as she played with the ribbon he'd given her. Without breaking from what she was doing, she answered.

"Do you not mean to ask, can a human fall in love with a merperson?" Attentive, intelligent blue eyes turned to look at him, the ribbon wrapped and tied securely around her wrist in a bow.

His answer was breathless as he opened his eyes, cornflower blue meeting molten amber. "Yes."

"Have you?" She was unsure now, for the first time since coming aboard the ship. She'd become placated since her first attempt at escape. She had seen Kenshin's anger at her treatment and she had seen the way he had dealt with her assailant. She had been unconscious, but it was a funny talent of her's and other merpeople's that even in her sleep, she and they could detect and record in their minds the happenings around them. From that moment she'd felt a growing attachment to the sea captain, noticing over time his lean muscles, his firm jaw, the possessive, hungry way he looked at her when he thought she was sitting idly in her water...

She was answered as he stood from his place across the room and walked to her, covering the distance in a few loping strides. He crouched to her level, face just a breath away from her own. He reached out to touch her, grasping her chin gently and tilting her head towards his. For the first time, she allowed it.

"Yes." Their lips met in a clash of passion, heated and wanting, pushing for more. The confines of her chains kept her restricted, but as his hand slipped to her neck, she arched into him and moaned, a throaty purr that made him see stars as they battled for dominance with their mouths and tongues. He became enthralled by her, encompassed by her scent and her taste. She was salty, but smooth and unpredictable, just like her ocean.

Once they had managed to get a hold on their own feelings they pulled away, faces still very close. She tilted her head and their foreheads met, his hand still clasped to the back of her neck and tangled in her mess of black hair, her hands on his shoulders and refusing to release them.

"We cannot be together."

The words struck him like an arrow through his heart, though he knew them to be true. He thought he might have heard a painful choke from her, something deep in her throat that expressed sadness and dismay that her own words would hurt her so much.

"Is there nothing that can be done?"

"If I were not chained, my instincts would consume me. I would drown you in an attempt to consummate this bond. You would die by my hand, whether I will it or not."

"I fear I cannot live without you any longer. You have become a part of me."

"Then you must release me."

Kenshin's eyes opened to meet her own, and the horrible ache in them made his own heart weak with sorrow. He knew that it was the only way to save her from death, and he from knowing she was the pet of some rich tycoon bent on hurting her, or making a profit from her.

He repeated his earlier question. "There is nothing?"

Tears spilled from her eyes. "There is nothing."

Before dawn the next day, when even the night watch had nodded off, he carried her from the deep bowels of the ship. He cradled her in his arms, cursing the day they had found her and damning this one as the one he would lose her. She clung to him like a child, face buried in his tunic. He smelled of ginger. It was a name she had found when she had searched through Megumi's mind for traces of knowledge.

They shared a final kiss before he let her fall into the cold, blue waters that hugged his ship, waves gently splashing on it like a tender embrace.

She stayed a moment, gazing up at the handsome redhead that was her captor and her lover, knowing that leaving him would be the most difficult thing she would do in all of her many years to come. Leaving him, though, meant giving him life.

The only trace of her that remained on Himura Kenshin's ship was a spilled tub of water, a scattering of black pearls, and a lonely heart that longed for the sea's most beautiful gift of all.

Final Note

Sooo before anyone gets upset, I understand that they were a little oc. I'm sorry, I should have tried harder. D; But this idea wouldn't leave me alone and, as unbelievable as it ALREADY is, them being able to stay together wouldn't have made sense. But maybe if reviews are nice I could dream up a sequel. ;D


	3. Vacations

**A/N**

Because everyone's amazing RK stories are making me soooo love this couple again.

AU KenKau Pairing, not much plot. S'been a while!

Prompted by the line in Snails by The Format,

"Snails see the benefit,

the beauty in every inch."

I wanna say that the group is classic Japanese in this fic, but I'll probably get details wrong. Also there's a throwback to my other story in here, one I'm very much trying to get back into.

I own nothing!

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><p>The group was on their annual vacation, a tradition begun four years prior when the youngest finally managed to snag that high school degree. Yahiko had insisted that they do something special to commemorate his monumental and much anticipated achievement, namely go someplace other than sights he'd been seeing all his life. They all got together to make a decision, and while some pulled others pushed. Miami, Vegas, Alaska, Paris, suggestions were thrown across the laden table as the family of friends raucously debated and defended their choices.<p>

They should have known that the females would win out, but it was still a bit of a difficult compromise.

The first vacation was to the Bahamas, a classic choice only reaffirmed by the rampant bikinis and tail chased by the pacified male portion of the clan. They returned to the outskirts of Tokyo with stories of Yahiko becoming a man and jellyfish the size of a horse. The following year the men won out, arranging a camping trip in Białowieża, Poland. The summer was balmy, and when they returned, Aoshi and Misao began considering apartments together. Their third summer together came with a unanimous decision of Cape Cod, where they stayed for three weeks and considered even remaining longer. That was the year Sano finally got the courage to propose to Megumi, and after much teasing, they celebrated their final three days based on her reply.

This year, the group had answered the call of the Italian coast.

Gentle waves caressed pale, unblemished feet as they sunk slightly into the squishy sand. A curtain of black hair billowed out behind the slim figure, catching the breeze and curling as if trying to fly away with it. A calloused hand reached up to swipe away pieces that tangled around her nose and upward curling lips. The sun was just beginning to set, the heat of the day receding into a pleasant hum of evening humidity. She wore only a navy blue tied skirt that served to cover her stringy bikini bottoms, her top half covered only by the matching upper part. She wasn't entirely sure how Misao and Megumi had managed to convince her to buy it, she'd worn the same one piece and skirt ensemble since she was seventeen. Now that she considered it, though, maybe it had been time for a change.

A soft blush came easily to her cheeks with the thought of the reactions she'd received. He had looked at her with such a predatory gleam; it was something she'd never seen in his features before. There was want_, desire_, in their depths. Of course she'd made an excuse and scampered away, wrapping the blue sarong around her hips and escaping to the quiet lull of the beach.

Which was where she found herself a few hours later, happily embracing the calm of the empty beach and awaiting what she was sure to be a perfect sunset.

Thinking back, she wasn't entirely sure where her nervousness around the beautiful man had stemmed from. He had been like a brother to her for years, beaten only by Yahiko in terms of closeness. Most of the group was orphans; it was part of what had pushed them all together. Sano and Aoshi had met in college, Megumi was distantly related to Aoshi, Kaoru and Misao had been friends for years when they met the other three at a concert, Yahiko was Kaoru's (not legally) adopted brother, and as for the seventh member of their party…

"Kenshin." She breathed softly, bringing a hand up to her still warm cheek. He had become woven into the fabric of their group almost the same time she and Misao had. His band had opened for the headliner, and in all honesty she had been disappointed that they didn't play longer. The devilishly handsome drummer had glanced up several times from his set to eye the brunette smiling in the front row, taking in the performance with a dazzled expression. He'd meant to approach her after the show, but instead had entangled himself in a family unit he hadn't known he wanted until it was pointed out that his presence made the group feel complete by none other than Misao.

That had been five years ago, and now they all ranged in age from Yahiko at twenty-one to Kenshin at twenty-eight. She was right in the middle, an elder sister to Yahiko and, at least she had thought, a younger one to Kenshin.

If it had been any more than that, he'd kept it well concealed over the years. Their other vacations brought them all together, as they had a habit of drifting slightly in their careers and personal lives. They always got together for the holidays and special occasions, the girls would meet up for lunch and the boys would go see sporting events together. It had become a natural cycle that they all enjoyed, each pursuing his or her own goals and furthering their personal relationships at the same time.

But now, she and Kenshin were the only single ones in the group. Even little Yahiko, who had grown up so fast, was head over heels for a girl named Tsubame back home. Where had the time gone, she wondered. Soon her companions would all be getting married, but where would she and Kenshin be in all of it?

As the waves lapped eagerly at her toes she couldn't help the tiny smile that came to her face. Kaoru couldn't deny the growing attraction she'd been harboring for the redhead as the years passed. She'd never given them any thought, figuring it was just because everyone else had partnered up, but now, after that look…

Reaching up, she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, turning her eyes to the lowered sun. It painted her shape in shades of gold and red, yellows and oranges stringing through her hair like they belonged there. She looked like a painting, fitting perfectly against the backdrop of the warm Italian coast.

She considered her own personality, and how dramatically it changed whenever she began to think of Kenshin. She was normally loud and boisterous, ready to voice her opinion and crack something hard over the nearest skull to prove that opinion correct. But when things of a romantic nature involved Kenshin, she felt her knees turn to jelly and her stomach soften. She wanted to curl up against him, let him protect her from the evil of her memories, as she knew Aoshi did for Misao, and Sano for Megumi.

But, at the same time, she wanted to protect him from his. She couldn't count on all her hands and toes how many times Misao had shouldered the burden and grief of Aoshi's past, or how many instances she'd simply sat and listened as Megumi tried to reconcile her responsibility to Sano. She wanted to be that support for Kenshin, she wanted to share in the torture that Kenshin had endured almost half his life, she wanted him to trust her with his fear.

Kaoru was jarred from her thoughts as her eyes were drawn down to a small shell in her path. It spiraled into a pointed end, but the other was blunted with points poking upwards around the circumference. Reaching down to scoop up the miniature conch, she let it rest heavily in her open palm. Her head tilted slightly, curiously thinking on how it shone with a dull pink glow. With her other hand she caressed the lines of wear along its shape, barely allowing the pads of her fingers to brush its smooth surface.

"It never ceases to amaze me how you can see the beauty in every inch of the world you come across."

His voice fell over her like a velvet blanket, wrapping her in a soft tenor embrace. She raised her face to him quickly, eyes wide in surprise and lips slightly parted. He stood a few feet away, hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. He was shirtless, which practically made her mouth water. Ever since the Bahamas she'd had very naughty dreams about that bare chest. There was a shell necklace resting on his clavicle, and his shock of red hair rested between his shoulder blades in a low, almost fluffy ponytail.

Once the initial feeling of unease had passed, which was practically immediate, her former smile returned as she looked back at the shell. "My father used to call me a snail sometimes because I would stop to look at flowers growing out of sidewalk cracks." She chuckled a little as she spoke, cradling the shell to her chest and returning her eyes to the man before her.

He moved silently forward, his eyes a molten gold. Her breath hitched in her throat as she caught them with her own cerulean ones, smile faltering slightly as she tilted her head up to maintain eye contact. Normally she could barely see the amber color swimming around in the odd violet his eyes usually were. She had never seen one color without the other, but now his irises were completely yellow, flecked with a darker brownish tint here and there.

"Kenshin... are you... feeling alright?" She asked lamely, clutching the shell for dear life. His only response was a gentle nod and quirk of his slim lips. They looked so soft and absolutely _inviting_. His response was to reach up and tug a bit of hair from her shoulder, playing with it between his fingers for a moment before his eyes wandered from its shiny texture back up to her eyes.

"I've just been thinking about you the past few hours," her heart stopped. "And I think it is unsafe for you to be out here alone, that I do." Her brows furrowed and she looked from his lips to his eyes, which had become violet again. "Ken.." She stopped the whisper halfway, confusion written all over her expression.

He sighed gently, pulling her sharply into a strong hug. His arms were like a vice around her as he crushed her warmly to his chest. She felt herself burrow her nose into the crook of his neck, enjoying the overwhelming scent of masculinity and ginger and ocean. She wondered just how long she could keep them curled together like this, if only she could use her hands to grab him. His throaty purr pulled her from the idea, "You tempt me, my Kaoru. I wish you would have asked for company, I would have gladly accompanied you here."

She pulled back just enough to look in his eyes and let her smile return. "I just needed some space to think on things. And besides, there's no use wearing a bikini inside. I thought I'd give it a little use." His return smile made her heart melt and shatter simultaneously. He had called her his, but his words were a muddle of lover's sweet nothings and the concern of a family member. She couldn't decipher exactly which ones she was meant to take, so she let the conversation slip into a comfortable silence. He released her and they wordlessly continued to walk down the beach.

"I think I'll bring back this shell and show Misao," Kaoru voiced after a while, once more examining the gentle luster of her find. "I think she's been looking for the perfect thing to bring home as a souvenir, and I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful creation." Her words tumbled against Kenshin, who merely nodded with a glance at the object. Kaoru found his response odd, and something inside of her stirred. She huffed a little and annoyance bubbled under her skin. "You could humor me, yaknow!" She snapped, sticking her tongue out at him teasingly. At this one of his red eyebrows cocked and a half-grin snuck onto his face.

"I was just thinking about the similarities between myself and Misao," He paused in their walk, and waited until she noticed a few paces ahead and turned to look at him. The way she glowed with the evening sun only reaffirmed his next action, his shoulders drooping as his features turned loving. "As well as between yourself and that shell." It was hardly above a whisper, but Kaoru heard every word. One hand flew up to her lips to hide a gasp, eyes tearing up slightly.

It was too much. She'd only just begun coming to terms with her feelings (ones she was sure had been present the whole time she'd known him, buried under fear and self consciousness) and now he was confessing something far too similar to her inner battle to keep from spilling tears. They rolled down her face but her eyes stayed locked on him as his smile dropped. "Oh, Kaoru…" He came up to her quickly, cupping her face with his hands and swiping away her tears with his thumbs. "My beautiful Kaoru, I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner, I'm sorry…" he trailed off, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "I was so afraid," he murmured against her skin, "that you would not reciprocate my feelings, and of burdening you with my shameful past… I did not consider-"

"I think I love you." The words spilled form her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. The truth often did that when it knew it had to. He tensed immediately and her stomach dropped. Hadn't he just practically said…?

Her shock and hurt was crushed from her in a squeak as she was picked up in sturdy arms and swung around in circles, a laughing Kenshin the one to blame. Wiggling her arms free she wrapped them around his neck and grinned, laughing with him as they twirled. When he finally put her down he wasted no time in pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that set off fireworks in her brain. He pulled back before it could deepen, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling with a perfect combination of violet and gold. "Well, that makes two of us." He said, reaching for her face again and tilting her forehead against his.

They stayed like that for some time before Kaoru jumped a little, gasping as she brought her hands up in the space between the two. They pulled back slightly so they could both get a good look at the shell cupped in her palms. Out of the crevice was wiggling a set of little red legs, and soon followed a pair of antennae. Kaoru giggled and held up the tiny invertebrate higher, examining him as he emerged from his home. "The heat from my hands must have made him want to come out!" She exclaimed, sounding like a child who'd received exactly what she wanted for Christmas.

Kenshin looked on, but with a different sort of happiness sparkling in his eyes as Kaoru set the tiny creature just out of reach of the swells, its tiny legs carrying it to the depths as quickly as they could. Blindly grasping her hand with his, they both watched the ocean reach out to grasp its tiny child and sweep it away.

The beauty of the sunset cast the duo in warm colors as they silently pondered the power of little things.


	4. The Sacrafice

**A/N **This one is because I am pathetic and I can't help but love me some damsel in distress. A little oc, but only because it's a little funky to begin with.

AU, rated K+ I guess cause there's nothing really raunchy.

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><p>She couldn't remember what had landed her here, hands bound and knees scraped. She had always been good, always been polite and full of well wishes whenever she went into town. She would gather her weekly needs and return to her small cottage where she lived alone. Alone, because the man that had adopted her and raised her had just recently passed away.<p>

Tears shimmered in her eyes at the thought of Okina's abrupt death, how she had wailed for hours by his bedside and refused any company that wished to grieve with her. His burial had been the same way; she'd even dug his grave herself. It stood slightly apart form the others in the graveyard, headstone small but clearly legible. She returned to it every day to place fresh flowers there, and perhaps that was what had gotten her into this mess. She had become predictable, had created a routine in her life that was traceable and understandable. In her quest to pay homage to the dead, she had been scooped up to become some… some…

She didn't know what she was, even as her mind sputtered angrily for the right word. Her people hadn't believed in sacrificing to deities for a hundred years or more, and when they had it was a bloody spectacle done in front of the entire village. This didn't fit that description _at all_.

She was perched delicately on her knees (having been shoved onto them a quarter of an hour prior) and her hands were clasped daintily behind her back (as they had been hastily tied there immediately upon being kidnapped), her captors had brought her to a clearing in the forest that surrounded her small village, far from any of the trade roads that led in or out. The glade was surrounded by weeping willows whose long tresses floated in an ethereal breeze that she could not feel, but apparently had the gall to _whisper_ to her.

So far it had only called her name, but it was enough to send her into a fit of indignation.

"_Misao…"_

"Enough!" She barked, finally having reached her limit. The sassy little weasel refused to look ruffled, but she would absolutely not put up with these tricks anymore. "Haruki! Koichi! Stop trying to scare me, I've had enough!" She howled into the trees, looking around with wide green eyes and knitted brows. She didn't actually know who had captured her and taken her here, as they had thrown a bag over her head and been silent the entire trip. She wanted, no, _needed_, to believe it was only a joke. Something her stupid friends would do to try and cheer her up. Soon they'd come crashing out of the woods, laughing at her stupidity the moment she began to believe it was actually-

"_Misao…" _This whisper was different from the rest, more commanding, more masculine, but also... closer.

It gave her chills as she whipped around, falling with her momentum to crash on the ground on her side. She kicked a little with her bare feet, pushing up tufts of moss and she scrambled away from the source of the voice. Breathing heavily she stopped and looked around again, trying to locate the source of the fear in her heart. "Guys, please..." her voice cracked. She was afraid, trying very hard to look brave, but she was failing.

"It's not funny anymore!" Misao squeaked, fumbling into a sitting position where her legs were sprawled beneath her in a less dignified pose than before.

"Silly girl." This time it was not a whisper, but a tangible statement that made another set of shivers run down her spine. It was not soft and soothing like the whispers, instead it reminded her of rock and iron with a sharp edge and a history of being unpleasant. "Don't you know that this is no joke? It is not often your people sacrifice properly anymore, seems they haven't the courage…"

A body to match the voice appeared in her vision as she twisted to see the owner of it. He was utterly terrifying, and darkness seemed to radiate from him in shadows that made the trees bend in fear and hate. Bandages wrapped around him wove in pattern and haphazard mess, and the skin that was bore to the light was a sickly gray-black that smoked and emitted such a heat that she could feel it from her place halfway across the sheltered glade. She trembled in his presence, for anyone could tell it was no human she was seeing.

It was the chosen visage of a god in this Earthly realm.

"What do you want from me?" She would have liked to say that her voice did not shake nor hold fear, as she had been trained as a ninja and knew the fine art of tempering emotion. The words were weak, however, and it made the god grin with malice.

"It is not what I want with you, selfish mortal. It is what your people want with the gods. They have grown flimsy in their given years, and it seems they think we are to blame for their recent failing crops and long draughts." He paused as this information sunk in, gears behind her eyes turning and trying to understand.

"But that doesn't make sense, our people haven't sacrificed a maiden for over a century!" She squawked, desperately trying to disprove her role in the scenario.

The heat he emitted became like a furnace as loose tendrils of bandage flew wildly around him. His voice grew dark and his very body seemed to grow. _"You dare question the word of a god?!" _His voice was like those of fifty men combined, echoing off the darkness he had shadowed the glade with. She cowered beneath its might but her eyes remained strong, determined to prove that she was not afraid of death. Her hair tore itself from her braid and whipped around her, soft gray dress held in check only by the small black corset around her waist.

She was afraid, but she would not be cowed into her fear.

The darkness began to recede as the god calmed himself, giving a mighty huff before the heat began to swirl around only him again. "Regardless, we must go before any others notice you in this glade." This statement was the first that Misao didn't have a response to, though her lips parted slightly and her brows furrowed a bit as if she was going to question it.

He began to approach her, footfalls scorching the earth as he made headway straight for her small frame. "Dead or not, your soul is mine now-"

Misao looked away and scrunched her eyes shut as he reached to grab her by the neck; awaiting the death she now realized was inevitable. But the hand never came. Instead, a voice so soft and so cool filled her senses that she could not help but turn to see who owned it.

She should not have been surprised that it was another god, but truly she was. She had gone from humble village girl who paid respect to the gods as she had always been taught, to seeing them as they appeared in daylight. The heat faded and she was instead embraced by a chill that she welcomed with the same fervor as she had barred the warm. She did not see the wielder of the cold stiffen just so slightly, nor when he relaxed more perceptibly than when he had arrived.

"You have no grounds, Aoshi. I was here first!" The first god snarled, backing up several paces and dropping into a stance that might have been threatening. Misao turned from him to the figure that loomed above her. He had appeared between her and the groping hand of the other god, silently barring his claim on her. Misao was beyond grateful, but could not bring herself to move or speak as the cold god tilted his head over and down to gaze on her.

He took her in for a moment as she wordlessly met his steely blue eyes. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, she wanted to cling to him and worship him, truly if she had know such a god existed she would have put all of her focus into he alone. As if he made a decision at the closure of Misao's thoughts, he turned his attention back to the other god. "I will be taking the mortal, Shishio. This glade is not rightfully yours to begin with; it belongs to the Lady Kaoru. You know the penalty for crossing into her land when you are unbidden." His words were like a vice that the god Shishio crumpled under.

"I would also advise you not to stray through Battousai's land on your way back to the volcanoes you spawned from, for if he were to discover that you were in his lover's territory…" At this Aoshi trailed off, expressionless, as the fiery god across from him practically fizzled out altogether. Looking upon the human girl again made him flare up in anger and humiliation, managing to thrust a final statement at the other god.

"Mark my words, Aoshi. The second she so much as steps foot in my lands, by your will or not, she is mine."

Suddenly the two were alone in the glade. Misao was breathing heavily, staring at the spot the god Shishio had been just a moment before. Had she evaded death so easily? Had she been saved? Her gaze shifted to the god Aoshi, who turned and quietly crouched, then kneeled, before her. The two silently stared at each other before Misao cocked her head and pulled her hands out in front of her as though they had never at all been bound. She didn't have to think about it for very long before her gratitude aimed itself at Aoshi.

Wiggling her fingers, her attention went from them to the gorgeous deity before her. He was watching her with an emotionless, indifferent expression, but there was something beneath it. "You are lonely," Misao said, paying no mind to the fact that her words were bolder than any she'd spoken yet. He shifted almost imperceptibly at her statement, and she took it as an invitation to continue.

"I can see through your eyes as though through a veil," She reached forward, fingertips brushing against his cheek. He did not move, but she felt the cold of his might rush through her hand and to her heart. From this connection she saw and felt even more of him, his pain, his ache, and his want. "I can see your heart as clearly as I can see my own." Her words had dropped in volume and she marveled at this new ability.

As she spoke, Aoshi was thinking his own thoughts and coming to his own conclusions. He had perceived his life a stable one, devoted to his subjects and his element. He had never considered a companion as none had ever seen past his exterior. Surely as gods they had, but even then he bore the ability to create a wall against them. But this tiny girl, this human, who was inconceivably younger and more fragile than he…

She was reading him as if her were speaking to her exactly how he felt. Was this a sign? A gift? Who was he to repel the mysterious child who had, already, embraced his call like she was born to?

"I do not understand any of this." She whispered, breaking him from his silent examination and bringing his attention back to the moment. He pitied her; she could see it in his face although it bore no such hint. Misao bristled slightly, shifting slightly away from him. "I am no child, I do not require the pity of a god." She sniffed, looking away over his shoulder. "I simply desire to know what will become of me." She concluded, crossing her arms over her chest in small measure of defiance.

All at once the emotions she felt coming from him in waves were tangible to her. There was amusement, intrigue, and… was that, upset? She raised one eyebrow at him, trying to locate the source of the emotion. It was not in her words, but in her movement, she concluded. The hair's breadth she'd shifted was enough to bother him, as it had not been towards the god, but _away._

"My Misao," Her body shook under the first words he spoke to her, reaching towards her to untangle her arms and grasp both of her small hands in his large ones. Like a doe her eyes widened to look up at him, all defiance drained from her. It made him pause to think and enjoy the moment as he so rarely did these days. She was a mortal who was bent on his every word, his every breath, his every action, and he was sure it was not because he was a god – it was because, to her, he was a man. No mortal man, but in appearance and in connection to herself. He resonated in her on a note that none could reach besides that of destined lovers.

When he had first existed in this world, he had kept only to his element, disregarding the other gods as they fell into folly and error with mortal affairs. He watched as they squandered their immortality on trivial things and the malice of other gods. His disdain for them grew and grew until he met Lady Kaoru, who enchanted him with her smile and her eyes. She was a high deity and had great power, more than several gods and goddesses combined. She was one of a handful of watchers who cared for mortal existence as though every human was a child of their own making. He had thought, briefly, that her smile could be his. He could not deny he had desired it. But very soon after the formation of that dream, it was destroyed.

Not long after their meeting, Kaoru finally accepted the advances of one of the greatest gods to rule the mortal realm, Battousai. He had swept her into his arms and their love had graced the earth with peace and prosperity for centuries. Their love continued even then, as he and Misao sat, and he came to the point of his recollection. Kaoru and Battousai had been destined to connect. Their rule over the godly realm was infinite and infallible, none challenged it nor had the power to do so because their tie to one another was so strong, so purposeful.

He wanted that with Misao, he _felt that_ with Misao. As small and mortal as she was, he could ask for Lady Kaoru's help. He knew without fail that she would find his plight an understandable one. He had been alone since the beginning of time, and now that he had found his prize, his one perfect companion, he would not let her go. Lady Kaoru could make it so he would never have to.

"I wish that you would be mine, Misao." He breathed, reaching out to grasp her neck and rest his thumb on her cheek. She had been patiently waiting for him to speak again, and now that he had, she felt her heart swell. "I have always been yours, Aoshi." She whispered, not quite knowing where the words came from or how she knew to use his name with such perfect inflection that made his eyes widen just a touch, made his heart flutter in his chest.

The glade murmured all around them as their lips connected, blissfully content that it had, once again, brought together the perfect couple as lovers at last.


	5. Terrible Things

**A/N **yoyoyoooo.

LADIES AND GENTS, DIS MOTHAFUCKA BE A SAD ONE.

Inspired by Mayday Parade's "Terrible Things". If you feel like crying, check it out. Seriously.

This is set in the same time period as the manga, but there have been alterations to Kenshin's past, as you will discover. I'm not so skilled that I'll go into it in detail, but I'd like to say that I picture this fic with a little less action overall than the manga. Just my take on a little idea I had.

Its super short, more of a depressing blurb, because what can I say I'm kind of a shitty god when it comes to rewriting the lives of my favorite characters.

Haters gon hate.

Disclaimer: none of it is mine except the physical writing. even then the chunk that's song is Mayday Parade's.

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><p>So don't fall in love there's just too much to lose -<p>

if you're given the choice, I'm begging you choose

to walk away, walk away, don't let it get you;

I can't bear to see the same happen to you.

He watched contentedly as a small redheaded blur zipped past, squealing and wielding a stick over his head with absolutely no regard for his own safety. A dark haired bucket of fuss dashed after him, calling out pleadingly and trying – failing – to capture the miniature human. With a huff, the woman sat down beside him gracefully, smoothing the ruffles of a dark rose kimono stitched with white cranes and flowing brown tree branches.

"He'll come in his own time," She reassured, mostly for her own benefit and not the samurai beside her. They were sitting quietly together on the engawa of the dojo, something they often did when trying to find the time and patience to simply be with one another.

"Aa, that he will," The man gently affirmed, cradling a steaming cup of tea in his pale hands. Bringing it to his lips, his eyes were a glaze of memories that did not see the grass below the cup, nor the gate past the grass, nor the blue sky ahead of that. The silence stretched between them, and the young female tried – failed – to discern what could be bothering him this afternoon. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and their young son was happy and healthy. In her eyes, life was beyond perfect.

But his slumped shoulders, quiet breathing, and loose grip on his teacup were worrying the beautiful bride. Reaching out, she rested a soft hand on his nearest shoulder, her touch like a fluttering petal that would shift again with the breeze.

At this he rose, setting his tea down and muttering an excuse before slipping off the porch. Fluidly shoving his feet into his tattered sandals, he moved like a shadow towards the flowing creek shaded by many draping willows just a few hundred yards from where he previously sat. His normally chipper violet eyes were somber and pained today; he had awoken with an agony he knew better than to forget, for it was a pain he knew all to well he should remember and repent for.

Did he regret it? He wasn't sure. He couldn't find it in himself to decide. Regretting it meant that their entire affair was folly, that every whispered word and midnight rendezvous was a waste, a wash, a deceit. Regretting it meant turning the blame onto the one person in this world he still clung to more desperately than any other.

So lost in his heartache, he had failed to sense the child who had trundled after him. As he sat on the bank of the creek, staring forlornly into its depths, the offspring made himself known by plopping down brashly beside him.

"Otou-san?" The young one began hesitantly, looking up at his father with wide, dark eyes. Though the man could not bring himself to deny his child attention, that attention was wrought with bitterness, no matter how he tried to hide it.

"Yes, Kenji-chan?" He questioned in a raspy tone that surprised him. It warned of tears that had yet to fall, but may soon prove themselves powerful.

"Otou-san, why are you so sad today?" He had to admit, even for a ten year old, Kenji was a very perceptive boy. 'Probably got it from his mother,' he admitted with a pang of hurt deep in his chest. Taking a moment, the elder redhead considered that maybe his child was the perfect vessel to vent his hurt and his longing. It could even prove useful to the boy in the future, when he considered the mistakes of his sire and the choices that lay before him.

With a deep breath, Kenshin began.

"Kenji-chan, when I was but a few years older than you, seventeen perhaps, I could think of nothing more than the mark I was making in the world. I wanted to make a difference, to help the people around me, so I worked hard and brought a new era of peace to Japan, with the help of many braver men than myself." He could think of no better way to blunt the blade of war recollection for his son than to skip the details that he even had trouble considering.

"But I was hardened by war, and troubled by many demons. That was when I meant a very gentle, very beautiful woman. She filled holes I never knew existed, and I felt more alive than I ever had before. One day she said to me, 'Kenshin, you're in love with me.' I had not the power to deny it, for she was right. I did love her.

"We spent almost a year together as I carved a way for the future of our country, and maybe, I thought, a family that we could share." He paused to glance at Kenji, surprised to find the boy deep in thought, considering his words with intense seriousness. Taking this as a sign to continue, Kenshin did so. "We loved each other very much, Kenji-chan. So much that it hurts your Otou-san even now to think on it. I tell you now for your own sake, and perhaps for my own.

"One day she met me secretly, as we always did. There was something in her eyes, I could not place it. I asked her to marry me that night, and that was when I found the source of hurt in her gaze. She told me that she had learned she was dying, and that she had very little time to live." Kenshin choked on his own words, surprised to feel the warm track of tears down his scarred face. He felt a tiny hand on his arm and looked over to his son, who sat patiently by his side, completely engrossed in his tale. Words continued to pour out of Kenshin.

"She would have been your mother, Kenji-chan, had she lived to see these days of peace. I loved her so much, but the spirits took her from me." He refrained from adding that he firmly believed that the taking of her life was done to placate the many he'd wrongfully, but purposefully, stolen. He reached over and scooped the boy into his lap, clutching him tightly.

"Don't ever fall in love, son. Don't ever allow your heart the pleasure, for it will only be stolen from you in payment of deeds you didn't realize required such great sacrifice. Don't ever fall in love, Kenji-chan, there's too much to lose."

They sat together for what seemed like less than a few minutes, but could have easily been an hour. They only separated from their embrace when a steady, warm voice carried over the grass and stones to reach them, calling them in for dinner. Kenshin, now fully recovered and feeling altogether peaceful, released his son with a message for his mother that he would return shortly.

When he was alone by the burbling creek, Kenshin let his face sink into his hands.

"Kaoru… my Kaoru, I love you still." He whispered, feeling the wind whip around him and caress his cheek almost as warmly as a hand. His head snapped up, but he was alone.

"_Anata, you know I wait for you here. Be happy now, you are loved in return."_

The words were so quiet, so delicate, that he almost missed them had they not been said as though the speaker were sitting next to him. His body relaxed as he looked to the origin of the words, feeling soft lips just barely grace his own before the presence of her spirit was gone, and he was alone again.

It took some time, but Kenshin stood. Too long had he kept Tomoe shrouded in his grief; he realized now that he could only continue as honorably as life allowed. He would see Kaoru again, of this he was sure, but for the moment he had a family who loved him and depended on him.

Somewhere, he could feel it, Kaoru looked on patiently, guarding them from the woes of his former demons.


	6. To Protect

**A/N** I need to stop updating so much. It's outrageous.

Got a request for a Megumi x Sano, so here is my attempt. Please be forewarned, never ever have I ever written for this pairing. :x

AU Fantasy based, because I have to have an absolutely perfect plot if I'm ever going to try something canon. The notion of messing with that beautiful established plot… it hurts my chest a little to think about.

This is also another pretty short one, but definitely because I'm inexperienced with the couple. Sorry for any oc-ness!

NOT MINE, said maverick to the owners of rouken.

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><p>"Aren't you getting a little old for hide and seek, Rooster?"<p>

"Not where you're concerned, Fox."

"I find it so very amusing that your childish mind could even conjure the stamina to chase me,"

"Listen here, woman. I'm just as strong as you – "

"Hardly, you mangy thing,"

" - perhaps even stronger, maybe you'll open your eyes and notice my greatness someday,"

The two verbal combatants were located at the edge of a sheltered glade, drooping willows whistling quietly around them. A small, russet brown fox shimmered in the waning sunlight. Her pelt was a beautiful combination of gold and red, tipped with white and darker brown here and there as accents to her deep cinnamon eyes.

Her gaze was locked onto the figure that had emerged not too long ago from the shadows of nearby underbrush, standing proud a few paces form her perch on a rock. He was shaped similarly to a rooster, but indeed could be likened more to a bird of paradise in color and plumage. His body was a wash of sapphire, emerald, and crimson with accents of black and pearl. His tail fluffed out behind him more than half his body length, long black legs sturdy beneath him.

Cocking his head slightly, the bird took another step towards the beautiful mammal in his sights. She had seemed to chuckle condescendingly at his remark, which made his feathers ruffle and his head pull back.

"I could devour you, Rooster. You forget your place,"

The words were a double-edged sword, one that he had to proceed against warily. On the one hand, the emotional hand, she was right – in a sense. The only reason she believed what she did was because he had not shown himself as the true creature he was. He was not a delicate display piece; he was a creature of war and defense. He was built for the sole purpose of laying claim and keeping hold of it until his final breath. It was in his nature, his very core magicks revolved around the principle.

He had thought that she had enough sense to have sensed this, but apparently he was wrong. It might have been that she was too caught up in her own personal affairs, too above his own, to have looked. She was a creature of the wood, a temptress and a guardian, though of a different sort than he.

"I remember my place, for it is the one I share with you," He said, stepping up to her bravely and maintaining eye contact. His deep grey irises shimmered, more than willing to continue reading between the lines of their outwardly harsh conversation.

He could see in her face that his acceptance was rapidly approaching. She had allowed him into her bubble, which he considered a tremendous accomplishment in itself. Soon he would be able to worm his way into her good graces, and then, the rest would be easy.

He needed a territory, something to protect and serve and die for. Most of his kind chose land or items; few attempted what he had chosen. He'd decided on a living, breathing entity that could make the choice to reject his advance. He, of course, had sidled up to the most difficult living thing that ever walked this green Earth - a woman. A _kitsune _woman.

He knew his time was running thin. He had been wandering aimlessly for hundreds of years, refusing to make a claim on something his heart was not determined to love for eternity. He had begun to fade, and knew his choice needed to be made. Then he had stumbled into this glade, realm of the goddess Kaoru, and found her. She'd been reclining in the sun, her bed of moss and dark hair splayed about her head like a fallen halo. From nose to toe her nude form had been the perfect shade of alabaster, sporadically freckled on her outer thighs, arms, and stomach.

He'd loved her the moment he saw her, but unfortunately for him, kitsune were wily and devilishly hard to woo. They had no use for love or attachment, choosing to trick men into their death or into servitude. So, he'd had to play her little game. Once she saw that he wasn't leaving her, maybe she would begin to accept him. This little fox even had a chink in her armor – her mother had been a faithful wife and lover, meaning it was well within her ability to be the same.

That foothold alone had kept him begging for more, albeit in a way that would deflect her harsh tongue and faux-pretentious attitude.

He was brought back to the present when before his eyes she became a woman, small fox ears quirking up from beneath drapes of black locks to catch his baited breath. A small smirk tugged at her features before she looked away, dipping one dainty foot into the clear flowing waters of the creek they sat beside.

"Besides, foolish beast, your advances are frivolous; our forms do not allow for courtship. You have no reason or warrant pursuing me. Begone, I grow weary of you," She sniffed, clearly satisfied that she had both shown him exactly what he could not have, as well as the resolution to the equation she thought burning in his mind.

"That is where you are wrong, trickster,"

Before her widened eyes, the colorful plumage that had been his form morphed and twisted into the shape of a man, standing before her as naked as the day he was born. He stood a head and a half taller than she with dark hair that stood up in every direction, defying gravity itself. All around his arms, torso, sides, hips, thighs and calves wrapped many beautiful and intricate tattoos comprised entirely of the colors of his natural form. The ink took no shape or representation, but instead seemed as though his very feathers had molded to his skin and now shone vibrantly in the glimmering sunset.

His smirk rivaled her best as she gasped, one delicate hand flying to her mouth to cover her lips as her eyes travelled up and down the bird's beautiful human form. Doomed to her nature, she was drawn to his perfection just as much as she was enthralled by her own.

"You are not what I thought you were," she breathed, eyes returning to his at last. At his expression of self-satisfaction she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Though I am sure you're still just a mangy bird."

He was in front of her before she could even flinch, his speed ridiculous as his hands latched gently to her shoulders and he brought his lips to her ear, supported by one knee on the ground beside her, the other stretched behind him. "I am of the jibakurei, sweet kitsune, a protector of places, objects…" He felt her stiffen beneath his hands at his audacity. She was none of those things, and she would prove it by driving his sorry ass into the ground -

"And beautiful, wily, deceitful, enthralling women." Her breath hitched as his warm breath tickled her inner ear, making an involuntary shiver run down her spine. Still having a hard time giving herself away, she turned away slightly. "I am not yours to claim, Jibakurei Rooster. Go find a hole in the ground and make a nest there; you are unwanted."

"Oh, but I think I am wanted, Fox." His hands travelled down to her ribs, just skirting the sides of her breasts. His lips ghosted across her jawline before resting just a hair away from her own pouting set. Her cheeks bore the barest hint of red as she refused to meet his eyes, staring instead at his stupid, ugly – perfectly shaped – nose. "I think I am so wanted that you are close to breaking, close to becoming that rare and exquisite thing that so few of your kind become."

She was dumbstruck by his audacity, but something in her loved it. She was pliant under his heated touch, never before had she allowed such sudden and intimate petting, it was beneath her. She was in control, had to be, for she was the temptress of the forest. She roamed between trees and creeks, calling to men and luring them into her traps to make them hers. When she grew tired of them she simply discarded them, happy to move onto the next. But this bird…

He had followed her for days. Occasionally he had made himself known, but more or less stayed in the shadows. She had known he was there; sometimes she even grew so impatient that she lashed out at him verbally. He was always ready with something snappy to return with, though, and as much as she tried not to show it, she knew he was aware of her growing frustrations. Perhaps that was where this interaction had stemmed from, she had stopped long enough to do something besides sleep or bathe that he had felt the opportunity was ripe.

Her breathing became a little heavier as she finally looked into his deep grey eyes. He truly was what he said; a protector, a giver, a lover of his claim. She knew they mostly took up station over particularly beautiful chunks of land, even sometimes over rare jewels or caverns of riches. Never had she heard of one… never had she _thought_ that one…

His hands continued to travel, caressing and rubbing circles at sensitive locations on her body. When they reached her inner thighs she finally found that bones had returned to her softened limbs, with which she gave a rough shove and threw the man from his presumptuous place above her. "Lowly snake, you have yet to earn anything you seek," She hissed, trying to keep the shaking from her voice as she stood and backed away. His smirk had returned as he straightened up, looking at her with a satisfaction she hated gleaming in his features.

"_Yet_."

The rumble was low and reverberated off caverns in her mind, sending back messages that she did not wish to decipher. Yet. Why had she used that word? It alluded to a future, similar to her mother's. A pet, a toy, something to be idly coddled and gazed at. She would not lead such a trivial existence. She refused to, refused to allow herself life in a gilded cage.

Though, if the cage were made of such supple flesh, such colorful decorations of splendor and grace…

With a huff the fox scowled and turned on her heel, shifting effortlessly into her natural form before beginning a trek towards the southern part of the forest where her den lay. A life with the rooster was an absurdity – he was far too foolish, far to different from she.

With a glance over her shoulder she saw him waddling happily after her, something akin to a cheeky grin on his beaked face. That lazy oaf, he'd hardly tripped into her and made a pass and thought himself a wooer. Three tails rose in defiance of his cocky attitude as she began to trot, absolutely refusing to entertain any more notions of his advances.

Behind her he followed, content to watch her tails swish bitterly in the evening light. Soon, she would be his. Then he could swath her in the blanket of his everlasting adoration and protection, and she would never want for human folly again.

For now, though, he was content.

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><p><strong>Jibakurei <strong>– a spirit that protects a certain place (or to stretch for this fic, things and people)


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